Nest box



Sept. 11, 1923. I

c. E. MOMUEPHY NEST BOX" 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 20;, 19mv ATTORNEY Sept. 11, 1923. 1&61622 c. E. MOMURPHY was? 50X Filed April 26, 19 212 3 Shets-Sheat 5 Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

Units. stares time P a FFHEE,

NEST BOX.

Application filed April 20, 1922. 7 Serial No. 555,661.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CRAWFORD E. Mo- MURPl-lY it citizen of the United States, and resident of Fairfax, in the county of Atchison and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nest Boxes, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to devices for recording the laying activities of hens, and the same consists more particularly in the pro vision of a nest-box of improved construction including means whereby the number of eggs and the exactones laid by any individual hen over a given period of time may be accurately determined, and whereby it may be accurately determined also which ones of a number of hens are or are not laying at all.

The mechanism whereby I am enabled to accomplish the foregoing purposes is capable of embodiment in different mechanical structures, one of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood, that the structure shown is merely intended as a disclosure of the essential features and novel characterst'ics of my invention in a preferred form, and that various changes, modifications and desirable additions may be made in and to the same within its scope as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings whichare illustrative of features of novelty to be fully described hereinafter, and wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views- Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved trap nest showing the normal relation of the parts thereof; a

Figure 2, a longitudinal section through the nest;

Figure 3, a rear elevation;

Figure 4, a transverse section showing the egg receiving receptacle and the mechanism for progressively advancing the same;

- Figure 5, an enlarged detail section of the neck ring supporting and releasing mechanism;

Figure 6, a vertical section through the housing of the neck ring supporting mechanism; q a

Figure 7, a detail perspective of one of theneck ring supporting plates;

,Figure 8, an elevation of one of the neck ri gs showing the h diug m ans therefor whereby it may be attached to the supporting mechanism;

Figure 9, an elevation of one of the neckrmgs showing the position it assumes when removed from the supporting mechanism and when disposedabout the neck of a hen;

Figures 10 and 11, detail perspectives, respectively, of the members for securing the neolk ring supporting mechanism to the nest; ant

Figure 12, a perspective of one of the neck ring attaching blocks.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 10 designates, generally, a box or house formed from any desired material into suitable size and shape to accommodate a single hen, and, as shown, the front of the same is normally open and is adapted to be closed by a vertically movable door 11, while the rear of the same, which is inclined forwardly from bottom to top, is also open and is normally closed by a pair of swinging doors 12 and 13. A frame-work 14 extends forward from, this box or house and carries legs 15 which cooperate with other legs 16 at the rear of the boX for supporting the latter a suitable distance above the ground.

The bottom of the box or housing 10 is constituted by a tiltable platform 1'? which is pivoted to the box at or near the lower front end of the same and which, interiorly of the box, is provided with a funnel-shaped nest 18 having an opening 19 in its bottom whereby an egg deposited in the same will drop therethrough. This platform extends a considerable distance forward with respect to the-box and at'or near its forward end has connected thereto the lower ends of a pair of vertically disposed rods 20 which, at their upper ends, are connectedto the shorter arms of a pair of angle-levers 21, which latter are pivoted intermediately to the frame-work 14, as at 22 and have their longer arms connected to the upper end of the door 11. The lower end of the door 11, as shown, is provided with a pair of pins riding in channels or guide-ways in opposite sides of the door opening whereby said door is guided in its verticalmovements. In con nection with these parts, it will be observed that the arms of the levers 21 are of such length, and the distance'between the pivot of the platform and the connection of the lower ends of the rods 20 therewith is such that wh n t f rw end. of the lattorm til is depressed, the lower end of the door 11 is disposed at the'top of the door opening in the box, and that when the said forward end ber23 which is of elongated form and extends transversely of the box as shown. Pivoted to one side of this channel member is a bell-crank lever 24 which has one arm thereof normally horizontally disposed and connected by a link "or rod 25 with the platform 17, and its other arm normally Vertically disposed and carrying a pusher rod 26 provided with a laterally extending terminal end 27 adapted to engage with a series of notches 28 formed in the upper edge of a receptacle 29 which latter is slidably arranged in the channel member '23 and divided longitudinally into a series of individual egg'receiving compartments, one to each notch 28. By this arrangement it is apparent that each time the inner end of the platform 17 is depressed the receptacle 29will be advanced due to the'ratchetlike relation between the rod 26 and the notches 28, and that by forming the arms of the bell-crank 24 of'proper relative length the distance that the receptacle advances may be caused to correspond to the length of one of the egg receiving compartments therein, as is desired.

In order to hold the platform 17 in a horizontal position when a hen is in the nest to thereby prevent other hens from tilting the same by stepping upon the outer or forward end thereof, one or'both of the doors 12 and 13 may be provided with a stop member30 which engages over the rear edge portion of the platform when it is moved to horizontal position and thus holds it in this relation. "Said stop member or members are of wedge shape and are so positioned on the doorsthat the latter are slightly opened as the platform is depressed to allow it to pass, and as the doors subsequently swing-closed due to theangularity ofthe rear of-the box, said stop members engage over the rear edge of the platform and hold it as previously mentioned until the doors '12 and 13 are pushed open.

Pi'voted at an intermediate point to the box 10 at or near its rear end,- so that one portion thereof extends within andthe other portion without thebox, is a supplemental tiltable platform '31 'ivhichis'weightd "S0 that it normally assumes a horizontal position with its inwardly extending portion disposed directly beneath the inner end of the main platform 17 when the latter is in a horizontal position. By this arrangement, a hen, when leaving the box, after opening the doors 12 and 13, steps on and depresses the outer end of the supplemental platform, thus raisingits inner end which lat ter engages with the inner end of the main platform and thereby initiates movement of said last 'mentioned'platform to its normal position as shown in Figure 2 As previously mentioned, the rear end of the box or house 10 is inclined forwardly from bottom to top which is for the purpose of causing the doors 12and 13, which are hinged at opposite sides o f the door opening, to automatically swing closed whenever they are opened,- and as shown in Figure 3, adjacent edge" por tions"of the door are cut away near their upper ends to provide an opening 32 in therear of the box when the doors are closed and through which a: hen within the box will project her head ina-n effort to find an exit after having deposited an egg.

Secured to and projecting rearwardly from the box or house 10, above the doors box 10 above the doors 12 and '13 when the plate 35 is supported by the member 33.

' Carried by the'down turned extension 36 of plate 35 is a boxlike housing'38which has pivotedth-ereto a lever 39 provided at ts lower end with a spring-hook 40 which is adapted to swing under the lower open end of the box and-to the rear thereof as is apparent, and'also'piv'oted to'the box and attached to said lever or otherwise arranged so as to be movablein unison with the lever is a receptacle or cup 41 which is disposed below the spring=hoolr 40. .At itsupper end, sa1d-lever'39 is connected in any 'suitable manner with one or "both of the doors 12 and 13, as by'means of thewire or rod42, so that when said doors-are opened, hook 10 'is moved under the housing 38, and when they swing closed said hook is movedto the rear oft-he housing.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9 o f'the drawings, it will be observed that I have provided a neck ring of somewhat peculiar form for use with the nest structure described in the foregoing. A plural member of neck rings "of the type are provided and each of them consists of a single strand of resilient wire or other material bent intermediately to form a small ring 43 for imparting resiliency to its two arms 44, 45 which latter are bowed or bent as shown so that between them they form a ring-which in the normal relation of the arms 44, 45 is 'of sufficient diameter to it about a hens neck without causing her discomfort. The free end portions of the arms 44-45 are straight and are normally crossed as shown in Figure9, so that by initially moving said free ends together and subsequently apart, the size or diameter of the ring may be enlarged to permit a hen to project her head therethrough. For holding the arms 44, 45 apart and the ring expanded as shown in Figure 8, I have provided small blocks 46, as shown in Figure 12, one for each neck ring, havinggrooves in opposite faces thereof for receiving the free ends of the arms 44, and also having openings 47 extending therethrough whereby they may be engaged with the rod '37.

To complete the mechanism necessary for an efficient operation of the nest, I have provided a plurality of plates or spacers 48, one of which is shown in detail in Figure 7, of the drawings. These plates are of even number with the blocks 46 and the neckrings and as shown each of them consists of a substantially rectangular body portion provided upon its rear edge with a downturned lip 49 and upon its upper face with a pair of ribs 50 so spaced as to receive between them the small ring portions 43 of the neck-rings and of a height slightly greater than the thickness of the material from which the said neck rings are con structed.

The operation of my improved nest and recording apparatus is apparent and is as follows: First, a number of neck rings are expanded and engaged with the blocks 46 as shown in Figure 8 and said blocks are then engaged with the rod 87 as shown in Figure 2 by passing said rod through the openings 47 in said blocks. Next, the free end of each neck ring is then seated between the ribs 50 of a plate 48 and the several plates arranged in superimposed rela tion within the housing in which position they support one another and all of them are supported by the lowermost plate resting upon the inturned bottom end portions of the sides of the housing, the ribs 50 serving to maintain the free ends of the neckrings in relative spaced relation so that one cannot interfere with another, and the downturned flange 49 of the lowermost plate being so disposed as to be engageable by the springcatch 40 of lever 39. Thus, all of the several neck-rings with the exception of one are supported outside of the box 10 above the doors 12 and 13 in relative spaced relation, but a single ring is disposed against the outside of the doors with its ring in substantial alinement with the opening 32 and is supported in this position by its block 46 engaging the horizontal portion of the aforementioned rod 37.

Now, with the parts of the nest in normal position as shown in Figure 2, and upon entry of a hen into the box through the door opening in the front thereof, platform 17 is caused by her weight to tilt to horizontal position, in which position it is locked by the stop or stops 30, whereby other hens stepping upon the outer end of the platform may not tilt the same downward and dis turb the hen within the box. As said platform is tilted downward. the door 11 moves downward to closed position and at the same time the receptacle 29 is advanced the dis tance of one notch so that an empty receiving compartment is disposed beneath the opening 19 in the nest. Having entered the box the hen may remaintherein over as long or as short a period as she chooses, and may or may not deposit an egg, but when she is ready to leave and finding only the opening 32 as a means of exit. she naturally projects her head through said opening, and as a consequence through the neck ring which is disposed against the outside of the doors 12 and 13 about said openings. Hav ing projected her head through the opening and through a neck-ring and finding that the doors 12 and 15 readily swing open. the hen steps forward pushing the doors open, and as the latter swing outward, lever 39 is rotated until the springhook 4O rides over and engages with the downturned flange 49 of the lowermost plate 48 in the housing 38. ring about her neck is pulled loose from the block 46 and springs to the position shown in Figure 9, whereby it may not be accidentally lost and may only be removed by an attendant. Furthermore, as the doors swing open, stops 30 are moved out of bolding relation with the inner end of platform 17 and as the hen steps on the supplemental platform 31 and thereby tilts the same, movement of said first mentioned or main platform is initiated towards its normal position so that another hen may enter the boX and repeat the operations of the hen which is leaving. Now, as the hen passes the doors 12 and 13, the same automatically swing closed and through the connection 42 exert a pull on the lever 39 to swing the lower end of the same outward, and. during such movement the lowermost plate 48 is removed from its supporting position under the outer or free end of the lowermost neck ring allowing the same to swing downward against the doors 12 and 13 into the position formerly occupied by the neck ring carried off by the hen leaving the box. The plate Atthe same time the neck- 'wa1'd so that another neck ring is disposed in position to be released when the doors are again opened and closed.

From the foregoing it is clear that, by properly numbering or otherwise corresponding the several neck rings with the different egg receiving compartments in the receptacle 29, an attendant may readily determine which hens are and are not laying and the exact eggs as well as the number laid by any individual hen.

I claim 1. Axnest box for fowls including a box provided with entrance and exit openings, a pair of doors for closing said exit opening, each of said doors being provided with a recess forming, when the doors are closed, an opening through which a fowl within the box is adapted to project its head prior to leaving the box, a member secured to the box above said exit opening, neck ring supporting means slidably engageable with said member whereby said supporting means is bodily removable from the box, and a connection between SEtlClwllGCk ring supporting means and one of said doors whereby individual neck rings are successively released from said supporting means and disposed in substantial alinement with the opening in said doors upon each movement of the doors from closed position to open and subsequent closed position.

2. A nest box for fowls including a box provided with entrance and exit openings, a pair ofdoors for closing said exit opening, each ofsaiddoors being provided with a recess forming, when the doors are closed an opening through which. a'fowl within the box is adapted to project its head prior to leaving the box, a member supported by the box and carrying a rod for supporting devices towhich predetermined ends of neck rings are adapted to be releasably secured, means for supporting the other ends of said neck rings, and a connection between said doors and one of said last named means whereby the individual neck rings are successively released from said supporting means and, disposed in substantial alinement with the opening in said doors upon each movement ot the doors from closed position to open and. subsequent closed position.

3. A nest box for fowls including a box provided with entrance and exit openings, a pair of doors for closing said exit opening, each of said doors being provided with a recess forming, when the doors are closed anopening through which a fowl within the box is adapted to project its head prior to leaving the box, a housing arranged in juxta-position to said door, a lever pivoted to said housing and carrying ahook member adapted to swing under the housing, a plurality of devices adapted to be arranged in said housing for supporting a plurality of neck rings and adapted to be engaged. by said hook whereby they may be individually withdrawn from the housing for releasing individual neck rings, and aconnection be tween one of said doors and said lever whereby the latter is moved to release a neck ring to thereby cause the latter to become disposed in substantial alinement with the opening in said doors upon each movement of the doors from closed position to open and subsequent closed position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ai'fix my signature.

CRAWFORD E. MCMURPHY. 

